creative writing minor cwu

English Department

Welcome to the english department.

Central to our department's mission is the conviction that everyone has a unique role in the world of words and that the narratives we craft and the methods through which we communicate are essential aspects of our humanity.

About the English Department

With a degree in English, you will build skills in communication, creativity, critical-thinking, and collaboration.

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Why Study English at CWU?

We take immense pride in affirming that if you possess a fervor for language and an eagerness to learn, you have found your home in the English Department at Central Washington University.

"The English department at CWU equipped me with both the creativity and critical thinking skills necessary to engage the future generation. I was taught the importance of self-reflection and how crucial it is for effective teaching. I now have gained the confidence to be an educator who both understands and can convey the importance of English to students." Haley Cottingham graduated in 2022 with a degree in English Language Arts Teaching.

Degree Options

Undergraduate.

• English Language and Literature, BA (Online and Ellensburg Campus)
• English Language Arts Teaching, BA
• English Professional and Creative Writing, BA (Online and Ellensburg Campus)

Graduate (Online and Ellensburg Campus)

• English, MA - Literary Studies and Teaching Specialization
• English, MA - Professional and Creative Writing Specialization

Minors and Certificates (Online and Ellensburg Campus)

• Professional Writing Certificate
• Cultural Studies in Literature Certificate
• Creative Writing Minor
• English Language and Literature Minor
• Technical Writing Minor

Questions? Contact Us

Samuelson 201

• [email protected]
• (509) 963-1546

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This minor allows students to develop their craft in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and other genres through workshops led by faculty who are practicing writers.

Required Courses

• ENG 302 - Poetry and Poetics Credits: (5)

Select 20 credits of creative writing courses:

• ENG 263 - Introduction to Creative Writing Credits: (5)
• OR   ENG 264 - Introduction to Creative Writing and the Environment Credits: (5)
• OR   ENG 265 - Introduction to Creative Writing as “Mindfulness, Health and Well-Being” Credits: (5)
• ENG 267 - Screenwriting Fundamentals Credits: (4)
• OR   FILM 267 - Screenwriting Fundamentals Credits: (4)
• ENG 357 - Writing for Serial Media Credits: (4)
• OR   FILM 357 - Writing for Serial Media Credits: (4)
• ENG 364 - Fiction Writing Credits: (5)
• ENG 365 - Poetry Writing Credits: (5)
• ENG 366 - Creative Nonfiction Writing Credits: (5)
• ENG 368 - Multi-Genre Writing Workshop Credits: (5)
• ENG 369 - Variable Topics Writing Workshop Credits: (5)
• ENG 464 - Advanced Fiction Writing Credits: (5)
• ENG 465 - Advanced Poetry Writing Credits: (5)
• ENG 466 - Advanced Creative Nonfiction Writing Credits: (5)
• ENG 468 - Contemporary Writers Colloquium Credits: (5)
• TH 313 - Writing for Theatre for Young Audiences Credits: (3)
• TH 330 - Introduction to Playwriting Credits: (4)

Select one literature course at the 300-level or above - Credits: 5

Total credits: 30, college and department information.

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College of Arts and Sciences

Department of english.

The minor in creative writing requires 15 credit hours. Students will take courses in two genres—poetry and fiction—and will be required to have an intro/intermediate sequence in one of those genres (e.g., ENGL 213 and ENGL 303 ).

Requirements:

15 credit hours, which includes the following:

• 9 credit hours in creative writing courses (at least 6 credit hours in one genre)
• 6 credit hours in any 200- or 300-level ENGL courses

Students should take two 200- or 300-level ENGL classes . These courses may be in other disciplines if cross-listed with English (e.g., World Literature). Up to 6 credit hours may count toward either the English major or another minor (but not both).

In addition to the required coursework, students must submit a creative writing portfolio.

(For a downloadable minor declaration form, go here .)

The Portfolio

We require the assembly of a creative writing portfolio as the cornerstone of a student’s academic and post-academic career. It would include

• A selection of the student’s best creative work at CWRU. (Fiction: Two short stories or an excerpt from a novel that have been workshopped in class, between 20-30 pages. Poetry: 15-20 pages that have been workshopped in class.)
• The critical introduction to the creative writing portfolio should be 8-10 pages (double-spaced) in length. It should introduce a reader to the work in the portfolio by framing its major aims, themes, technical strategies, and so on. The introduction is “critical” in the sense that it asks the writer to put her/his work in the context of other writers. The writer should cite 3-5 texts (craft essays, and/or works of fiction or poetry) that have had some bearing on her/his practice. These citations should be done in MLA style, with a corresponding Works Cited at the conclusion of the introduction.

The portfolio should be submitted electronically to both the student’s creative writing minor advisor and Susan Grimm ( [email protected] ) in the department office by the Monday after classes end in the term in which you plan to graduate.

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Writing Studies at Central Washington University

Here, you'll find out more about the major, including such details as the number of graduates, what degree levels are offered, ethnicity of students, average salaries, and more. In addition, we cover how CWU ranks in comparison to other schools with writing programs.

Jump to any of the following sections:

• Available Degrees
• Student Debt
• Student Demographics
• Related Majors

Writing Studies Degrees Available at CWU

• Bachelor’s Degree in Writing
• Master’s Degree in Writing

CWU Writing Rankings

The bachelor's program at CWU was ranked #125 on College Factual's Best Schools for writing list . It is also ranked #3 in Washington .

Popularity of Writing at CWU

During the 2021-2022 academic year, Central Washington University handed out 49 bachelor's degrees in writing studies. This is an increase of 7% over the previous year when 46 degrees were handed out.

In 2022, 4 students received their master’s degree in writing from CWU. This makes it the #210 most popular school for writing master’s degree candidates in the country.

How Much Do Writing Graduates from CWU Make?

Salary of writing graduates with a bachelor's degree.

The median salary of writing students who receive their bachelor's degree at CWU is $27,832. This is less than $28,418, which is the national median of all writing majors in the nation who earn bachelor's degrees.

How Much Student Debt Do Writing Graduates from CWU Have?

Student debt of writing graduates with a bachelor's degree.

While getting their bachelor's degree at CWU, writing students borrow a median amount of $43,232 in student loans. This is higher than the the typical median of $30,059 for all writing majors across the country.

How Much Does a Bachelor’s in Writing from CWU Cost?

Cwu undergraduate tuition and fees.

Out-of-state part-time undergraduates at CWU paid an average of $820 per credit hour in 2022-2023. The average for in-state students was $234 per credit hour. The average full-time tuition and fees for undergraduates are shown in the table below.

Learn more about CWU tuition and fees.

CWU Writing Studies Bachelor’s Program Diversity

Of the 49 writing students who graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2021-2022 from CWU, about 24% were men and 76% were women.

The majority of the students with this major are white. About 53% of 2022 graduates were in this category.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Central Washington University with a bachelor's in writing.

Does CWU Offer an Online BA in Writing?

CWU does not offer an online option for its writing bachelor’s degree program at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the CWU Online Learning page.

CWU Writing Studies Master’s Program Diversity

During the 2021-2022 academic year, 4 writing majors earned their master's degree from CWU. Of these graduates, 25% were men and 75% were women.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Central Washington University with a master's in writing.

Writing Student Diversity at CWU

Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the writing majors at Central Washington University.

Most Popular Majors Related to Writing

View All Writing Studies Related Majors >

• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By Bobak Ha’Eri under License

More about our data sources and methodologies .

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